George Abbot

George Abbot (29 October 1562-4 August 1633) was Archbishop of Canterbury from 4 March 1611 to 4 August 1633, succeeding Richard Bancroft and preceding William Laud.

Biography
George Abbot was born in Guildford, Surrey, England on 29 October 1562. After a distinguished career at Oxford, he became dean of Westminster Abbey in 1600. Favor from King James I of England resulted in appointments to bishoprics, culminating in Canterbury in 1611. He was a strong Calvinist and a supporter of the alliance with the Dutch United Provinces during the Dutch Revolt against Spain, and he was opposed by William Laud and the Arminians; his influence with James therefore declined. In 1621, his reputation suffered when he accidentally killed a gamekeeper while hunting with a crossbow. He fell out of favor during the reign of King Charles I of England, and Laud eclipsed Abbot in power; Abbot died in 1633, and Laud formally succeeded him as Archbishop.